Many disabled people are capable of driving a vehicle, but are not capable of getting a wheelchair into or out of a vehicle. To avoid the need for such people to seek assistance at each end of a vehicle journey, it is necessary to provide some means for storing a wheelchair in the vehicle, together with means for moving the wheelchair between the storage position and a position in which the wheelchair can be accessed by the driver.
A device of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,563, and also in PCT/IL 2005/000668. However, both of these inventions relate to a collapsible wheelchair, which is moved and stored in the collapsed position. It should be noted that although PCT/IL-2005/000668 states that the invention disclosed in that application can be used in combination with non-collapsible chairs, to adapt the mechanism in that way requires a vehicle which provides an unusually large rear luggage compartment (e.g. a small van).
It is a substantial practical advantage if apparatus for moving a wheelchair can be accommodated in the small to medium-sized hatchbacks and station wagons commonly in use, and if the apparatus is capable of handling a rigid (i.e. non-collapsible) wheelchair. Rigid wheelchairs are preferred by many wheelchair users, since they are regarded as more comfortable and are more robust in use.